diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index d440553a7e..2189db19f5 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -2283,7 +2283,8 @@ sub process {
 			#print "line<$line> prevline<$prevline> indent<$indent> sindent<$sindent> check<$check> continuation<$continuation> s<$s> cond_lines<$cond_lines> stat_real<$stat_real> stat<$stat>\n";
 
 			if ($check && (($sindent % 4) != 0 ||
-			    ($sindent <= $indent && $s ne ''))) {
+			    ($sindent <= $indent &&
+			     $s !~ /^\s*(?:\}|\{|else\b)/))) {
 				ERROR("suspect code indent for conditional statements ($indent, $sindent)\n" . $herecurr . "$stat_real\n");
 			}
 		}